Food and Recipes – DIETside

My Favorite Products

These are all Amazon affiliate links. I make a small commission from purchases made through these links. My opinions of the products are my own and were not solicited.

Kitchen Tools

These are some of my must have kitchen tools and gadgets.

An Ice Cream Maker! The Cuisinart allows for larger batches for sharing, the Ninja is great for smaller quantities, and the Dash is ideal for perfect portioning!

Electric Pressure Cooker! This tool scared me at first, but now it gets used almost daily. It’s perfect for when you forget to thaw meat. It can cook a frozen roast in just a couple of hours! It can be used as a slow cooker. It can be used as a rice cooker. It makes the easiest to peel hard boiled eggs. You can even bake in it and make your own yogurt! The newer models, like the one below, even air fry!

Kitchen Aid Mixer with accessories! I love my mixer! My in-laws purchased it for me two decades ago and it’s still going strong! They even purchased some accessories for me, but I didn’t use them until recently. What was I thinking?!!! The meat grinder attachment saves me a fortune because I can quickly and easily make my own ground chicken breast at $2.48/pound instead of paying $6.99/pound or higher!

Gadgets and Tools! These smaller gadgets and tools just make life easier.

Other Must Have Appliances! The Ninja food chopper is a gadget I didn’t know that I needed. My mom bought one for me and I almost took it back to the store. I’m so glad that I didn’t, because it is one of my most used little appliances!

The Vitamix blender takes smoothie making to a whole new level! It also turns cottage cheese and frozen fruit into the most delightful soft serve frozen treat! My current favorite use if for homemade pecan butter!

Keurig! Another gift I didn’t know I needed, but that gets tremendous use. Coffee, tea and other beverages are so easy! There is a Keurig for every budget and space.

Waffle Maker! Protein waffles are a staple in my house, so a good waffle maker is a must! I’ve had one like this for at least a decade!

Getting Active

I love to hike and proper gear is a must! These are some of my favorite things that I always have on trail with me! You can also get the Built Bars directly from Built and get a discount using promo code MORE2US. The salted caramel are my favorite!

Off the trail, here are some other fitness essentials.

Pumpkin Pucks & Banana Buttons

My sister came up with the crazy names. These low carb, low calorie, low Point, low fat, sugar free, gluten free baked goods are her favorites!
Makes 2 servings

1/4 cup Trim Healthy Mama baking blend
1/2 over ripe banana or 3 TBSP pumpkin puree
1 egg
1 tsp vanilla extract
4 tsp Pyure sweetener
1/4 tsp baking powder
Cinnamon to taste
(For pumpkin, add pumpkin pie spice to taste)
dash of salt
14 g toasted, chopped pecans

Mix all ingredients, except pecans, in small bowl. Split batter between two greased, 1 cup ramekins, top each with 7g of pecans and microwave on high for 3 1/2 minutes.

*If your batter is too thick, you can add fat free plain Greek yogurt to get the right texture.

Kim’s Passion Lime Slush

*This page contains affiliate links. I may receive a small commission for any purchases made through these links. Your cost is not affected, but your purchase can help support my site.

On days when I know that I have had enough food to eat, but I still want to keep eating, I have a go-to treat that keeps me from eating my way through the rest of the day. It is maybe 5 calories. It’s Zero Points, low carb and contains fiber, vitamin C, electrolytes and probiotics, yet tastes like a cherry lime dessert.

The ingredients may seem a little weird, but they come together into a delicious and healthy “snack”!

3 Cups of hot water, almost to a boil

1 large Tazo Passion Tea bag – steeped in the hot water for 10 minutes, then cooled in fridge

5 tsp Pyure stevia blend sweetener (Or equivalent non-nutrative sweetener of your choice, but this is what I use in most of my sugar free recipes)

Pinch of healthy mineral salt like Pink Himalayan or Real Salt

Pinch cream of tartar

1 oz. Apple cider vinegar with the mother

Vitamin C powder (I use three scoops of this for 3000 mg)

½ teaspoon glucomannan powder

1 packet True Lime

2 Cups of ice

Once your tea has cooled, add 1 ½ cups of it to a Vitamix or other heavy duty blender, add additional ingredients, then ice, and blend on high for about 45 seconds. Makes enough to fill two red Solo cups. Plus, you have tea ready to make another round tomorrow!

I Can’t Stop Thinking About Waffles

One of my favorite, healthy breakfast options is a protein waffle. I have been using the WW Vanilla Protein Booster, to create delightful low Smart Point, low carb, high protein waffles. I’m not going to regale you with the history of waffles or drone on about how my Gran made the best waffles when I was a kid, I’m just going to get on with posting this simple recipe.

1 scoop WW Vanilla Protein Booster

1 egg

3-4 Tbsp fat free plain Greek yogurt

1/4 tsp baking powder

The mixture will be thick and sticky.

This will make one large waffle or three small waffles in a Dash mini waffle maker.

This recipe is 2 Smart Points on WW Purple or Blue, 4 on WW Green.

Disclaimer: I work for WW, but this website is not affiliated with WW or Weight Watchers International in any way, shape or form, nor is it endorsed by WW. The opinions are my own and I am not compensated for any purchases of the WW products linked in this post.

Whipped: A Tale of a Magical Coffee Concoction

This morning I tried this whipped coffee that is all the rage on the internet right now – technically called Dalgona coffee. It’s crazy that you can take equal parts of boiling water, instant coffee and Pyure, beat it for two minutes, and get this amazing, fluffy concoction! Dollop it on top of cashew milk or whatever milk you choose, hot or cold, for a delightfully decadent treat. Some people stir it in, others drink it on top like whipped cream. Make it your own by varying the type of milk, temperature of the milk, adding some cocoa and sweetener to your milk, or even flavored extracts or spices like cinnamon.

I made mine by using two tablespoons each of boiling water, Folgers decaf instant coffeeand Pyure. I microwaved the water in a one cup glass Pyrex measuring cup, immediately added the coffee and Pyure, then blended for about two minutes with a hand mixer, using only one beater. Be sure to beat it long enough for it to whip up to a thick, creamy texture. The color will also lighten substantially. For my base, I used 12 ounces of unsweet cashew milk that I blended with 1 tablespoon dark cocoa powder and 1 teaspoon Pyure. I went cold with my milk and dolloped the whipped coffee on top. I even drizzled a bit of my sugar free chocolate syrup on top. It was fantastic! Only 1 Smart Point on all colors, low carb, THM FP.

Have you tried it yet? How do you like your Dalgona coffee?

*There are Amazon affiliate links throughout this page. I make a small commission if you purchase any of the products I have linked. It does not affect your price, it simply supports this blog.

Cornbread

3 Tbsp THM Baking Blend
1 TBSP yellow cornmeal
1 Tbsp fat free plain Greek yogurt
1/2 tsp baking powder
Dash of salt
1 egg
If you want sweet cornbread, add 1/2 – 1tsp Pyure to taste.

Mix and spread evenly in a 2 cup ramekin or two 1 cup ramekins. Microwave on high for 90 seconds.

You could probably bake it, but I was shooting for quick and easy.

The entire recipe is 2 Points. It makes two very nice sized servings. This recipe is low carb and gluten free too.

Kim’s Miracle Cookie Recipe

I recently completed a 12 week journal challenge, in which I posted my written food journal, in a private Facebook group every day. It was a horrible experience in some ways and fabulous in others. The accountability of it kept me on track during one of the most difficult seasons of my life.

That experience, and what I learned, might be the substance of another post soon, but for today, we are going to focus on the recipe that has been requested repeatedly since people saw it in my journal. I’m not going to ramble on and on, but rather just post the recipe for Kim’s Miracle Cookie(s).

Preheat oven to 350

3 TBSP Trim Healthy Mama Baking Blend*
1 TBSP Hershey’s Special Dark cocoa powder
1 egg
1 TBSP fat free plain Greek yogurt
5 tsp Pyure sweetener
¼ tsp. Vanilla
¼ tsp. Baking powder
Pinch of baking soda
Pinch of salt
1 serving Lily’s or Bake Believe chocolate chips
(Optionally, add ½ tsp espresso powder to really up the intensity of the chocolate.)

Spread cookie dough on a parchment lined cookie sheet into about a 5” round cookie, about ½ inch thick, or form 2 or 4 smaller cookies. Bake for 8-12 minutes.

These cookies are low carb, gluten free and very WW Point friendly. The whole recipe is 4 SP, so you can have one giant cookie for 4 Points, two 2 Point cookies or four 1 Point cookies.

All of my baked good recipes use Pyure as the sweetener. I finally just put it on my Amazon autoship. If you decide to do the same, please use my link so I can earn 10 cents, or so, a month to help keep this site going!

*Disclosure: I am not affiliated with Trim Healthy Mama in any way and do not receive any compensation for recommending their products or providing purchase links. I just really like the product. All Amazon links are affiliate links that could result in compensation if you make a purchase. (Thank you if you do!) Your cost is not affected. I have no ties to the manufacturers and my opinions of the products are purely a result of use, not any monetary incentive.

For Trim Healthy Mama Baking Blend, the best source is their store. This link is to the single one pound bag, but they do have a 3-pack that will save you a little money per bag. https://store.trimhealthymama.com/product/gluten-free-baking-blend-16oz-bag/

Sugar Free, Gluten Free, Low Carb, 1 Smart Point, Kim’s Miracle Chocolate Mug Cake

As shown, the cake is 2 points due to the whipped cream a a couple of sugar free chocolate chips. They are definitely not needed to enjoy this cake though!

I enjoy chocolate cake more than Oprah loves bread! In the past, it has been a DIETside nemesis, but no more! Occasionally I will still indulge in a sugar laden slice of chocolate cake bliss, but as I have improved my sugar free baking skills, those indulgences are far fewer, and frankly, less satisfying.

As I have grown and changed in this weight loss and wellness journey, I have applied skills and food philosophies from many different sources to create my own Foodology, if you will. Part of that Foodology is limiting sugar to special occasions. I spent many years lamenting the fact that I felt like an addict, yet had to interact with my addiction. It turns out I was wrong. Sugar was the driving force behind my constant cravings and compulsions to eat. In a close second was every strong emotion. When the two were combined, it drove my weight to nearly 300 pounds.

I’m not sure which was a more monumental task – mostly eliminating sugar or managing my emotions with something other than food – but for the sake of this post, I will focus on the benefits of mostly eliminating sugar. Honestly, I shuddered at the thought of it and started the journey not really believing that I could ever do it, but it was the best thing I have done for my health and my peace of mind in this journey.

Since chocolate is one of the sugary things I most often craved, I needed to find sugar free, low carb and low point options. I do love Russell Stover sugar free chocolates, but they don’t scratch the itch for baked goods. That is why I developed my own recipe for a chocolate mug cake that is a startling 1 Smart Point, sugar free, low carb and gluten free! Yes, you read that correctly – just 1 Smart Point! I also have a sugar free chocolate sauce recipe that turns that cake into a chocolate lava cake – that is still just 1 Smart Point! (If you add 2 tablespoons of sauce.)

If you are looking for ways to reduce sugar in your diet and still have amazing chocolate cake, this just might be the recipe that preserves your sanity!

There is one specialty ingredient in this recipe that I’m not sure is available in local stores. It is the Trim Healthy Mama Baking Blend. This product is amazing and I use it for many things. It is gluten free, low carb and low Point. I am including a link to where you can purchase it online. I am NOT an affiliate. I make no profit for referring you to this product. It’s just a really great baking blend and easier to purchase than make your own. https://store.trimhealthymama.com/product/gluten-free-baking-blend-16oz-bag/

This recipe makes two cakes. I cook them in 1 cup ramekins, but mugs will work.

Now, for the recipe:

1 egg

¼ cup Trim Healthy Mama Baking Blend

5 tsp. Pyure

2 Tbsp. Hershey’s Special Dark Cocoa Powder

¼ cup non-fat, plain, Greek yogurt

1 tsp vanilla

¼ tsp baking powder

1 tsp espresso powder (optional)

pinch of pink salt or sea salt

Optional: Mix in some sugar free chocolate chips like Lily’s or Bake Believe

Mix all ingredients in a small bowl. The batter will be thick, more like brownie batter. Spray two mugs or ramekins with non-stick cooking spray and divide the batter, evenly, between the two. Microwave on high for 2 ½-3 minutes. (Cooking time will vary based on the wattage of your microwave.)

I keep Pyure on my Amazon Subscribe & Save order. I use this stuff for all of my sugar free cooking, as well as in my coffee and tea. You can also purchase it locally at Walmart.

*This post contains affiliate links. If you purchase through those links, your price remains the same, but I will receive a small commission to support maintenance of this site.

Chocolate Custard/Frozen Custard

As promised, here is the recipe for the chocolate custard. Since the frozen chocolate custard is based on this recipe, I have included instructions for that as well. There are only 2 Smart Points in this entire recipe! It is also sugar free and low carb.

Chocolate Custard

1 Cup water or coffee (coffee enhances the flavor of the chocolate)

½ Cup Hershey’s Special Dark chocolate cocoa powder

½ Cup Pyure sweetener

1 tsp vanilla extract

pinch of Himalayan pink salt or sea salt

OPTIONAL: 1 tsp espresso powder for a true mocha flavor

6 egg yolks

Whisk egg yolks in a medium mixing bowl and set aside.

Add all other ingredients to a medium sauce pan and bring to a boil over medium/high heat, stirring constantly. Reduce heat to low and simmer for 3-4 minutes, stirring frequently, until sauce thickens slightly. Remove from heat.

VERY slowly pour 1/3 of the hot chocolate sauce into the egg yolks, whisking continuously. It is important to not rush this step or you will have scrambled yolk. Once the egg mixture is well tempered, add it to your saucepan and continue simmering over low heat, whisking continuously, until thickened – 2-4 minutes, depending on your stove. It should be the texture of pudding. Eat hot, or chill to serve later. If you don’t mind adding points, try serving the custard in the pre-made phyllo mini shells. Four of them are only 2 Smart Points.

For frozen chocolate custard, transfer to a bowl and refrigerate for a minimum of 4 hours. After at least 4 hours, remove from the refrigerator and add:

1 1/2 cup unsweet cashew milk

Mix thoroughly. Pour into your ice cream maker and process according to manufacturer’s instructions.

This gets really hard if you put it in your freezer. It is definitely best eaten immediately. If you prefer a more solid texture, rather than soft serve, place in the freezer for about 45 minutes to an hour, stirring occasionally.

A one cup serving is zero Smart Points!

choc frozen custard — This is a 1/2 cup serving, which is Zero Smart Points!!

If you really want a chocolate overload, add some zero Point chocolate sauce!

Stay tuned for more ridiculously low Smart Point ice cream recipes. If you don’t yet have an ice cream maker, follow my link to Amazon and pick up the one I use.

*There are affiliate links in this post. If you use them to purchase a recommended product there will be no additional cost to you, but I will earn a small commission for your purchase.

Simple Chocolate Sauce – 6 TBSP – Zero Smart Points, Sugar Free & Fabulous!

*There are affiliate links in this post. If you use them to purchase a recommended product there will be no additional cost to you, but I will earn a small commission for your purchase.

I am about to launch a series of recipes that build off of one another. The first recipe I am offering is this simple chocolate sauce recipe. I use this recipe as a base to make chocolate custard as well as 1 Point frozen chocolate custard. You read that correctly – 1 Point frozen chocolate custard! It’s only 3 Points for the entire 1 ½ quart batch!

I don’t particularly enjoy cooking, but I enjoy eating well, so I have been doing lots of experimentation in the kitchen recently. I’m going to give you the base recipe, as well as some variants, so you can make the chocolate sauce of your low Point dreams! The custard recipe will follow in a few days, as well as the frozen custard recipe. Be sure to subscribe to the blog so you don’t miss them!

You might want to go ahead and grab an ice cream maker so you will be ready to go when my frozen custard recipe is published. This is the one I use:

Consider purchasing a second freezer bowl. I have two and it makes it possible to serve more than just one flavor. (Yes, I will be posting recipes for more than just chocolate.) The bowls require 24 hours in the freezer before use, so it is just handy to have a second one. I am actually considering getting a third one!

Simple Chocolate Sauce – 2 Smart Points for the entire batch

Yields about 1 ¼ cups

1 Cup water or coffee (coffee enhances the flavor of the chocolate)

½ Cup Hershey’s Special Dark chocolate cocoa powder (You can use regular Hershey’s cocoa for a lighter chocolate sauce, but the Smart Points value will be 4 for the batch.) The cocoa is the only ingredient with a Points value, so be sure that what the Smart Points value is for your ½ cup of cocoa powder if you use a different brand.

1/3 Cup plus 1 Tbsp Pyure sweetener (You might want to get this on Subscribe & Save. It will be in most of my sweet recipes.)

1 tsp vanilla extract

Pinch of Himalayan pink salt or sea salt

¼ tsp xanthan gum (optional, if you want to make the sauce a little thicker)

Add all ingredients to a small sauce pan and bring to a boil over medium/high heat, whisking constantly. Reduce heat to low and simmer for 3-4 minutes, whisking frequently, until sauce thickens slightly. Remove from heat and pour into a glass container. The sauce will continue to thicken a little as it cools. It is the perfect topping for ice cream or the 1 Point chocolate cake that is forthcoming in a future post. It also works great in your morning coffee or drizzled over strawberries. It’s a new staple in my home for all of my chocolate saucing needs!

Hope you enjoy!

Let me know how you use this chocolate sauce, or tweaks you make to improve the recipe.

*Note, if white crystals form on the top of your sauce as it cools, that is just the nature of the erythritol sweetener. Simply stir to reincorporate.